BENGALURU: Several organisations openly took sides in the hijab controversy on Friday. Five professors of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to take suo motu cognisance of reports of intimidation of Muslim women students based on religious attire.
“Evidence globally and from India shows that education is the most effective tool for women’s empowerment and broader social development. The atmosphere of fear and intimidation will make parents hesitate to send daughters to schools and colleges. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao will be an abject failure not just for Muslim girls, but for girls across all communities. Failure of law and rule of intimidation affects everyone,” reads the letter signed by Professors Ritwik Banerjee, Deepak Malghan, Dalhia Mani, Prateek Raj and Hema Swaminathan.
Students of Azim Premji University expressed solidarity with Muslim students discriminated against on the basis of their attire. “Such incidents have the potential of creating institutionalised discrimination based on gender, religion, caste, etc. We stand against any kind of discrimination that denies a citizen their basic rights,” reads the statement. Over a dozen organisations wrote to CM Basavaraj Bommai, the Supreme Court and NCW to review the order.